Motor-vehicle.



No. 690,849. Patented 1an. 7,1902.v

A. B. FOWLER.

MUTOR VEHICLE.

(Application led Feb. 23, 1901;) (no Model.)

me Noms persas ou. momumn., wAsummN. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED B. FOWLER, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND.

M OTOR-VEHICLE.'l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,849, dated January7, 1902.

Application filed February Z3, 1901. Serial No. l8,498. (No model.) y uTo wllzvwm. t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED B. FowLER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Cenf 'tral Falls, in thecount-y of Providence and yState of Rhode Island, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Motor-Ve hicles; and I do hereby declarethe following f Vto'be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art-io which itappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to motor-vehicles, and more particularlyto a motor suspension device for the same.

The object of the present invention is to provide a motor suspensiondevice so constructed 'and arranged that the motor and conv nectionssupported thereon shall move as one 1 body and the alinement of thedifferent parts shall; not be disturbed, no matter what the quality ofthe road or the speed of the vehicle.

In motor-vehicles as first constructed the motor and its connectionswere mounted div-rectly upon the running-gear without springs.

'If-his construction, however, was soon abandoned, and at the presenttime the usual prac'- ticle is to mount these parts upon the vehiclebodyitself or upon a spring-supported fra-me.

"ff'Both of these methods are objectionable, for

fthe relative movements of the vehicle body or frame and of therunning-gear constantly throw the driving-shaft and the driven axle loutof alinement, making someform of flexible connection necessary. Wherethe separate frame has been rotatably mounted at its rear end upon thedriven axle and the forward end connected to the body of the vehicle,vso that it is supported by the forward vehicle-springs or is connectedto the front axle and has independent springs, the drivingshaft anddriven axle will be held in approximately proper alinement. The otherbearings, however, willv be thrown out of line by any twisting orwarping of. the frame caused by one wheel passing over an obstacle.

In Figure/i of the accompanying drawings is shown, diagrammatically, theeffect in such a method of suspension if one front wheel -end oftheframe, which will permit ,relative passes over an obstacle six inchesin height. I If c, d, and represent points upon the vehicle-body uponwhich the front end of the sus- ,movements into their vertical andhorizontal components it willbe Xseen that the point c has movedvertically through a distance represented by czc' and horizontallythrough c c2, cl has moved vertically through d2 d and horizon tallythrough d d2, and e vertically through e2 e' and horizontally through ee2. While the horizontal components of these three movements arenecessarily all the same, it is evident that the vertical componentswill and must vary. The same is true if one rear wheel be raised, assimilar relative movements-are produced. Hence in a four-pointsuspension device the passing of one wheel over an obstacle will cause atwisting or warp- `ing of such a frame, one corner being lifted morethan the other, while at the same time one entire end of such a framewill be moved horizontally through a considerable distance.

ing and racking movements,and the lvarious parts supported on such aframe will be constantly thrown into and out of alinement. In myimproved motor suspension device I have overcome these objectionablefeatures;

and my invention, broadly speaking, consists in providing a singlepivotal support fo'r'one longitudinal tipping of the frame and ot' thebody or axle of the vehicle, and in also providing means whereby one endofthe frame may move horizontally relative to the body or axle.

In the illustrated embodiment ofmy invention, Fig. 1 is a top plan viewofthe running-gear of a motor-vehicle provided with my improvedsuspension device, Fig. 2 showing the same in side elevation. Fig. 3 isan enlarged view, partlyin section, of the bracket y and bearing for theforward end of my suspension device. Fig. 4, as already explained, is adiagrammatic view showing the eect of a forward wheel passing over anobstacle.

In the drawings, 1 represents the runninggear of a motor-vehiclesupported upon the axles 2 and 3 by the springs 4: and 5. 6 representsthe motor suspension-frame, which is rotatably mounted upon the rearaxles 2 by means of the T connections 7. Longitudinal movement of theaxle is prevented by means of the collars 8, provided with theset-screws 9. A brace or strut 10 connects the side bars Vof the framenear their rear end. At their forward end they are connected by thepiece 1l, which is provided at its middle with the stud 12, carrying theantifriction-roll13. Secured to the running-gear at the forward end isthe bracket 14, provided with the bosses 15, in which are the bearings16. Mounted in these bearings and arranged to have vertical movementtherein are the rods 17, which are provided at their lower ends with ahorizontal bearing 18. A compression-spring 19, engaging at one end thetop of the boss 15 and at the other the collar 20, pinned to the upperend of the rod 17, permits vertical movement of the bearings 18 toprevent sudden shock when the vehicle passes over some obstacle. Thesupporting-piece 21 is provided with a slot 22, in which moves theantitriction-roll 13 on the stud 12. Trunnions 23, mounted in thebearings 1 8, permit movement of this supporting-piece about ahorizontal axis as the springs are compressed and eX- panded. It is topermit this relative vertical movement of the bracket and thesupportingpiece that the frame is rotatably supported upon the drivenaxle.

When one front wheel of the motor-vehicle runs over some obstruction,the springs 19 first take up the sudden shock, allowing a relativevertical movement ot' the bracket and the slotted support 21, whichsupport turns slightly in the bearing 18 to compensate for the angularmovement about the rear axle 2. At the same time the inclination of thefront axle and, to a smaller extent owing to the vehicle-springs, of theforward part the running-gear and the bracket 14, supported thereby, hasno tendency to twist the suspensionframe 6, as this is pivotallysupported by the rolls 13 on the stud 12. The horizontal movement,however, represented in the diagram by the distance c c2, effects arelative horizontal movement of the stud 12 and the slotted support 21.It will thus be seen that the horizontal movement as well as the varyingvertical movements are provided for and that the frame 6 will besupported without twisting or strain and that the motor and itsconnections mounted therefrom will remain in perfect alinement with eachother and with the driven axle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A motor suspension device for motorvehicles,having, in combination, a motorsupporting frame mounted at one end uponthe drivingaxle of the vehicle, and a support for the other end of theframe constructed and arranged to permit relative lateral horizontalmovement of the end of the frame and the support, and longitudinaltipping movement of the Vframe in a plane substantially at right anglesto the driving-axle, substantially as described.

2y A motor suspension device for motorvehicles, having, in combination,a motorsupporting frame mounted at one end upon the driving-axle of thevehicle, and a support for the other end of the frame constructed andarranged to permit relative lateral horizontal movement of the eiid ofthe frame and the support, and lateral and longitudinal tippingmovements ot' the frame and the other axle of the vehicle, substantiallyas described.

3. A motor suspension device for motorvehicles, having, in combination,a motorsupporting frame mounted at one end upon one axle of themotor-vehicle and a support for the other end of said frame arranged totip in a plane substantially at right angles to said axle, substantiallyas described.

t. A motor suspension device for motorvebicles, having, in combination,a motorsupporting frame mounted at one end upon the driving-axle of thevehicle, a stud mounted upon the other end of the said frame, a supportfor the stud arranged to permit relative, laterally tipping movements ofsaid frame and the support, and bearings arranged to permit the supportto tip in a plane substantially at right angles to the drivingaxle ofthe vehicle, substantially as described.

5. A motor suspension device for motorvehicles, having, in combination,a motorsupporting frame rotatably mounted at one end upon thedriving-axle of the vehicle, a stud mounted on the other end of saidframe, a roll on said stud, and a slotted support for said roll,substantially as described.

6. A motor suspension device for motorvehicles, having, in combination,a motorsupporting frame rotatably mounted at one end upon thedriving-axle of the vehicle, a stud mounted on the other end of saidframe, a roll on said stud, and a tipping slotted support for said roll,substantially as described.

7. A motor suspension device for motorvehicles, having, in combination,a motorsupporting frame rotatably mounted at one end upon thedriving-axle of the vehicle, a stud mounted on the other end of saidframe, a roll on said stud, a tipping slotted support for said roll, andspring-sustained bearings for said support, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED B. FOWLER.

Witnesses:

HENRY B. METGALF, EDW. B. THORNTON.

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